Railroad-crossing signal



A rilfi 1926. Y 1,579,315

J. HATCHER RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed July '7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M Q v q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. HATCHER RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL Filed July '7,

April 6 1926.

Pame a Apr. e, was.

oration.

JOSH HATCHER, OF DELAGUA, COLORADO.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed July 7, 1925. Serial No. 41,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,Josi1HArcHnR,a citizen of the United States, residing at Delagua, in

the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Railroad-Crossing Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved railroad crossing signal, that is, a structure which is located at a point where a railroad crosses a public highway, it being the purpose of the device to warn pedestrians and vehicular traffic of the approach of a train, whereby to reduce the number of accidents ordinarily occurring at points of this kind.

The invention has more particular reference to a supplemental device which is placed alongside of one of the rails of the track, this supplemental device embodying normally raised downwardly inclined members adapted to be depressed against spring action for the purpose of permitting lowering of a semaphorearm functioning both as a barrier and signaling means.

The feature of advantage is derived from the particular construction and arrangement to become apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan viewof astructure constructed in accordance with the present invention showing the same in association with a railroad track and highway crossing.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of-one of the details,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional and elevational view showing a pivotal connection for the members shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the base of a spring pressed plunger,

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of th semaphore or signaling device.

Referring-to the drawings in detail, the

-highway is designated by the reference character 1 and the rails of the tracks by the references character 2. This is a conventional showing of the track crossing a highway.

As before stated the improved device comprises a novel means which is located along side of one of the rails ofthe track. The device is preferably located at the outside of the rail and is not acted on by the wheels, but preferably by a' supplemental device (not shown), which is provided upon the train. The means under consideration is more plainly shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to this figure it will be seen that it comprises a pair of duplicate channel shaped bars 3 pivotally connected as 4 to a flattened head 5 on the upper end of a plunger 6. The lower ends of the bars are slotted as at 7 and connected by a special means to the web of the adjacent rails.

Noting now more particularly the construction of plunger it will be seen that the same has a circular head 7 on its bottom which is slidable within a cylinder 8 embedded in a concrete base 9 in the subsoil beneath the track. A coiled spring 10 is located in this cylinder and presses against the plunger and cylinder serving to hold the plunger normally elevated as shown in Fig. 3. This maintains the two channel bars 3 in an outwardly and downwardly inclined relation as shown in this figure.

Directing attention now to Fig. 4:, it will be seen that each channel bar has its side flanges straddling a roller 11 journaled for rotation upon a bolt 12 fastened to the web ofthe rail. The roller preferably has roller bearings interposed between it and the bolts to provide for rapid and easy oscillation. In this connection I would state that the plunger and the cylinder are proportioned to permit the two channel bars to swing downwardly into a plane with each other and to render them flush with the surface of the ball of the rail. This is not essential however, for, as before stated, the device is located on the outer side of the rail and a special depressing shoe or its equivalent is provided on the bottom of the frame and located over the depressible channel bars so that upon engaging the latter, the same may be pressed downwardly to a predetermined position.

As before intimated, suitable signaling and barrier forming means is located alongside of the highway. This preferably comprises a standard 13 to the upper end of which a semaphore arm 14 is pivoted' As shown in Fig. 6, the upper end of the standard is preferably bifurcated and a coiled spring 15 is located between the furcations and is held in place in any appropriate manner. This constitutes a bumper to absorb the shock to which the semaphore arm is Cir subjected when gravitated downwardly, In this connection it should be noted that the arm is pivoted at a point between the center and one end so that that portion extending over the highway is over-balanced and its natural tendency is to drop down.

It is also to be noted that the standard is of a predetermined height and that the semaphore arm is of a length to extend a considerable distance across the highway, if not entirely across it. On both sides this arm is provided with reverberatory lenses 15 preferably red in color. By this I mean that the lenses are of the type wherein the rays of light cast upon them from the automobile headlight will be returned or reflected in a manner to show the lenses as it illuminated.

It is thus essential to have the semaphore arm dropped to a horizontal position substantially in alinement with the headlights on conventional automobiles In this way the lenses will be disposed in the path of projection of the light rays and the driver will be warned of danger and suti'icient time given to bring the machine to a stop.

As stated, the arm serves as a barrier to prevent crossing of the tracks when it is down. For the purpose of maintaining the arm in the upwardly inclined position shown in Fig. 9, a flexible cable 16 is attached to the short end thereof and trained over a plurality of suitably mounted pulleys 17, connected as at 18 with the upper part of the plunger 6 and at its opposite end with a coiled spring 19 suitably anchored. iVhen the plunger is up, a pull is exerted upon the cable and it is drawn sufliciently taut to raise the semaphore or barrier arm to inoperative position. As soon as the cable is rendered slack, however, the arm gravitates to operative position. The coiled spring 19 aids in maintaining the cable stretched.

No doubt, a careful consideration of the description in connection with the drawings will enable persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates to obtain a clear understanding of the same and of the advantages derived from the particular arrangement of parts. Therefore a more lengthy description is deemed unnecessary,

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

lVhat I claim as new is 1. A railroad crossing signal comprising a cylinder adapted to be suitably anchored, a plunger having a head slidable in said cylinder, a spring located in said cylinder and bearing against said head, said plunger also including a rod normally disposed in an elevated position, a pair oi downwardly and outwardly inclined depressiblc bars pivotally connected at their inner adjacent ends to the upper end of said rod, and means for pivotally and slidably connecting the outer ends of said bars to the web of a rail.

2. A railroad crossing signal comprising a normally elevated spring pressed plunger adapted for disposition alongside of a track rail, a pair of depressible bars pivotally connected at their inner adjacent ends to the upper end of said plunger. the opposite ends of said bars being slotted, and means connecting said slotted ends with the web of said rail, said means comprising, in each instance, a bolt, a roller journaled for oscillation upon said bolt, anti-friction bearings between the roller and bolt, and said bars being of channel shaped cross section with the flanges thereof straddling said roller.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

JOSH HATCHER. 

